"Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy: you can't build on it; it's only good for wallowing in." Quote from Katherine Mansfield

Can you enjoy your own quiet time without being lonely or do you consistently need noise or entertainment? Are you able to enjoy simple things like the sound of rain or a child's laughter? Can you be kind to a stranger without expecting anything back?

You will have a sense of contentment and peace when your able to appreciate the simple things, enjoy your own company and relate to others with an open heart. These are important things to strive for in our lives.

Do you feel deeply? - The truth is that when other people are hurting, I hurt too. When they cry, I mist up with them. When they laugh, I join in and when they are lonely I understand. Don’t we all feel connected to some extent and isn’t that a good thing?

We don’t want to become so hardened to the feelings of others that we turn away from their pain. Or do we? What do you think? Does it make you uncomfortable to witness human suffering? It’s hard to know how to handle these situations, but I don’t think we can go wrong by feeling compassion and showing it.

Lately I've stopped several times a day to say "Life is good" and its true. Life is good and the more I appreciate it the more it seems to be so. It brings me to the question "Is it me?" that has created this life and the answer is "Yes".

I can be "ME" and still create my life. I can choose "Life is good" or I can choose "Life is sad and unfair". I choose the positive because it is too exhausting to be sad all the time. When the time comes in your journey to make a choice, what will it be?

International Widows Day - June 23rd. There are an estimated 245 million widows worldwide, 115 million of whom live in poverty and suffer from social stigmatization and economic deprivation purely because they have lost their husbands.

The first International Widows Day took place in 2005 and since that time, the scale of the event has grown, with events across the world.

What are your core values?
List 3 things that you will NEVER change belief in. True values are expressed in your actions. What gives you the best value for your time? That is what indicates what you should do. My core values are God – Respecting the value of others – My health. But as I write this I realize that my actions are not matching my values. I’ve been getting a little slack, but I can do better.

How many times have you thought to yourself. I don’t want to “work” at a new relationship, I want it to be the fun part of my life. And how many times has a nagging voice in your head chimed in, well, just live alone then, because there’s no such thing as a toil free partnership.

We will still argue, still have moments of total frustration. Whether its a friend or another partner, relationships do require effort. So be prepared before you get back into the dating game.

Stress Busters - Meditative state that you can easily slip into by repeating a word, phrase or muscular activity, and then focusing on the repetition, disregarding thoughts that inevitably come to mind.

Cleaning creates a sense of peace. You can’t rest with clutter around you.

Music has been shown to reduce both anxiety and the perception of pain.

Physical activity not only burns calories but also neutralizes stress hormones and makes you feel great.

Wow, women will feel guilty over just about anything. Why do we do it to ourselves?

Women will, after much soul-searching, feel guilty about …….. and …….

It’s to our credit that we care so much about other women’s feelings and that we try to help each other. But not at the expense of making the right decision for ourselves. Instead of wasting our energy on guilt, let’s work together towards actively supporting diverse choices, each and every one worthy of respect.

Ways to Beat Loneliness: Make it a point to contact others regularly. Get involved – people need your help. Develop new dreams - dreams give hope and a spark to life. Rest – tired people respond negatively to their life. Focus on the good things. Remember your never really alone because God loves you and he hears your prayers.

I have 2 new testimonials on YouTube.
http://ping.fm/ujrSn
http://ping.fm/zkY8g

The greatest thing in the world is to have someone exclusively for your own – to love, to trust and to honor. The loss of that person leaves an emptiness in our lives. Sometimes, during busy hours one can forget the pain of loneliness. Then something , anything, brings it flooding back. That feeling of isolation and detachment can strike even in the middle of a crowd.

The best way to handle loneliness is to get out with friends and family. Join some new groups or volunteer on the weekends. Anything is better then sitting home by yourself.

We carry heavy burdens on our souls, burdens that unless unloaded will weigh us down forever.

There is nothing you and I can do about the past. It’s gone but you can do a great deal about your future. Give yourself the chance to become all you can be and to accomplish all that you can accomplish.

Ask for blessings in detail – be clean, be specific, define it. Ask with faith that you will get what you want. Never let it be said that you lived life without finding your passion.

Feelings of distraction, distress, or emotional chaos are natural and appropriate responses to be going through. Having these feeling doesn’t make us a basket case. We needn’t downplay these emotions, nor do we benefit from “checking out” until we are back to our old selves.

Here’s to support groups, to sharing fears, questions, problems, and remedies with laughter and tears. Here’s to camaraderie. To sisterhood. To all the good reasons for starting or joining a support group with other women who can offer so very much. It may be the one best gift you can give yourself right now.

We mustn’t allow anyone to minimize the importance of our emotions. When this happens, it’s important to stop and educate. To say “Let me tell you how it’s affecting me.”

We shouldn’t permit others to trivialize our feelings, we must be sure to name and claim the value of this experience for ourselves. Claim it by saying – “I respect the importance of what I’m going through.” It will be easier to educate others once you understand it yourself.

Joel Osteen - God puts people in our lives on purpose so we can help them succeed and become all He created them to be. Everywhere we go, we should be encouraging people, building them up, challenging them to reach for new heights. Rather then feeling discouraged or defeated, people should feel challenged and inspired after spending any time with you and me.

http://ping.fm/BMgrE

This article was written for the Telegraph Journal's "Thinking Ahead" insert. http://ping.fm/zgMkD

Some people seem to be constantly lost in a fog of confusion. They go one way, than another. They try one thing and then shift to something else.
Their problem is simple: They don't know what they really want. If that sounds familiar, you need to sit down and put your dreams on paper. Your going to figure out, once and for all, where you want to go and the steps you need to take to get there. Once you write out your dreams and see it on paper it will be easier to plan for it to become a reality.

Have you ever asked yourself the question - Why me? We are all surrounded by negative thoughts everyday. Some people call CNN - Constant Negative News, they may have a point. We need to be more aware of what we bring into our lives.

What a wonderful time I had at the “Chicks Night Out”. The tears were rolling down my cheeks and I hadn’t laughed that hard in years. What a gift to have friends to share a meal with and really enjoy an evening out. Thank you ladies, you don’t know how much the evening meant to me!!